Stronger
by Kamizuki Mari
Summary: "You underestimated me, Sasuke."
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! :D  
>I know I should be working on the Envy fic, but I got bored. So, I started this to take a break from FMA for a day or two *nervous laugh* Please don't kill me..<br>But anyways, I really wanted to write a Naruto fic, so why not write about Sakura and Sasuke? XD  
>Next time I'll put some effort into this I swear XD<em>

**_-Mari_**

_[Chapter 1 Start]_

* * *

><p>Sakura grunted softly as she landed hard on the branch, her knees shaking from the cold and threatening to give out. She knelt there a moment, trying to catch her breath before standing and going on. <em>I have to keep going.. I have to find him before Naruto does!<em>

"Sasuke," She said softly under her breath as she went, watching intently for any sign of her teammates. She frowned. _That's right, I almost forgot.. Sasuke isn't my teammate anymore.. He's been a missing-nin for years now.._

"Hey! Sasuke!" Sakura's head shot up when she heard Naruto's yell. _He's found him!_ "What the hell! Why are you still with those Akatsuki bastards!"

Sakura forced herself to move through the icy branches, ignoring whenever an out reaching one would scratch against her arms or legs. She stopped outside the clearing, in the cover of the thick foilage, and did a hand sign.

* * *

><p>"Tell me why, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled out again to his former teammate.<p>

Sasuke narrowed his red eyes slightly, holding up a hand to block Tobi as he went to step forward. "Don't even bother. I've been waiting to sever this bond for a long time. You just stand aside."

"Sasuke, remember your eyes," Tobi smiled from behind his orange mask. "You wouldn't want to overuse them before you're able to get your revenge on the leaf, now would you?"

Sasuke scowled. "Just stay out of way, damn it."

He looked up at Naruto again, his brow furrowed slightly. "These bonds will be broken today, Naruto.. You are the last thing that binds me to the Leaf!"

"I'm taking you back, now! Sasuke, everything your brother did-"

"I know.." Sasuke's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "And then the Leaf betrayed him. All he had ever done was for my safety.. And the Leaf _betrayed _him."

"You killed him!" Naruto yelled back, his fists clenching. "You say we betrayed him, but you _killed _him! Dammit, you aren't making any sense!"

Sasuke flenched slightly, but not visibly, at Naruto's words. Didn't the idiot know he was only making things worse? _Damn idiot._

"I didn't know all that when I did what I did.. And that's why," Sasuke scowled. "I have to get revenge for my brother.. By taking out the Hidden Leaf!"

"You damn idiot!" Naruto yelled at him.

_Do you really have the right to call _me _an idiot? _Sasuke thought acidly.

"One person can't take out an entire ninja village! You'd be killed by the ANBU before you got past the gates!"

Sasuke clenched his fists, his eyes smoldering. Yes, it was true that getting into the village unscathed would be hard, especially since he wanted to do it by himself so he could ensure that revenge was his alone. He looked over at Tobi. "Hey, Tobi."

"What is it, Sasuk-" His words were cut off when a kunai was driven deep within his chest. "S-Sasuke.."

"You annoy me." Sasuke let him fall before walking down the slope with his hands in his pockets. When he got near Naruto, the blond immediately lowered into a defensive stance. Sasuke waved him off with a sharp _tsk._

"Don't be an idiot," Sasuke smiled slightly. "I was just waiting for a good distraction so I could get away from that annoying bastard."

Naruto smiled broadly. "I knew you'd come back, Sasuke! I knew you wouldn't just give up on your Team! Don't worry, I'll make sure Grandma Tsunade lets you come back without harm!"

"CHA!" Naruto and Sasuke leaped backwards when the ground suddenly exploded where they had been standing. Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the tremendous power. Had it been a clay bomb? No, Deidara had long since been dead.. But the _power_ from that blow!

"What the hell, Sakura!" Naruto yelled as the dust began to clear to reveal the slender form of his pink-haired teammate. "You could have killed us!"

_Sakura? _Sasuke looked over at the kunoichi. _How could such a weakling possess so much _power?

"Go away, Naruto," She said icily, pulling her glove. "I'm taking on Sasuke."

"WHAT THE HELL? HE'S GOING BACK TO THE VILLAGE!" Naruto yelled as loudly as he could, making Sasuke narrow his eyes slightly in annoyance. "WE'RE GOING TO BE A TEAM AGAIN!"

_"You really are stupid,"_ Sakura said coldly. "You didn't notice when Sasuke stabbed that Tobi guy, the odd absence of blood? Or how uncharactoristically easy he came back to us? He's just using you to get safely back to the Leaf, dumbass!"

"Well, Sakura," Sasuke smirked, coming up behind her in a flash, his hand glowing with the chidori as he thrust it through her back with enough force to go straight through her chest. "It seems you underestimated me.."

"SAKURA!"

Sasuke smirked when he felt blood on his arm. He had done it! The first of many he would take in his quest for revenge! Then, all at once, the body that was hanging limply on his arm disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What!" Sasuke and Naruto said at the same time.

"You underestimate me, Sasuke."

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 1 End]<em>

_It's not too good, but it was just a spur of the moment fic XD  
>I'll try harder next time ;D<em>

**_-Mari_**

**_Oh, and since there's a Tropical Storm, I may not be updating until next week, depending on whether we have power or not._**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter two!_

_Getting stories/chapters out hasn't been easy lately, so I have to appologize for that~! School, sports, personal life-they come first so extremely sorry *heart*  
>And it doesn't help that I'm writing three *nonfanfic* stories: One completed and just needs revising, the other two in the creationwriting process._

_And thanks for the reviews! It really means alot, and I appreciate ever one of them~!_

_**-Mari**_

* * *

><p><em>"Well, Sakura," Sasuke smirked, coming up behind her in a flash, his hand glowing with the chidori as he thrust it through her back with enough force to go straight through her chest. "It seems you underestimated me.."<em>

_ "SAKURA!"_

_ Sasuke smirked when he felt blood on his arm. He had done it! The first of many he would take in his quest for revenge! Then, all at once, the body that was hanging limply on his arm disappeared in a puff of smoke._

_ "What!" Sasuke and Naruto said at the same time._

_ "You underestimate me, Sasuke."_

* * *

><p>Sasuke whipped around to see Sakura standing only feet behind him. She narrowed her eyes at him, cold emerald orbs seeming to stare straight into him, no, straight <em>through<em> him. Sasuke swallowed before straightening and taking on the calm and collected facade he was known for.

"Now Sakura.." He gave her a cocky smirk. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I could ask you the same thing," She shot back acidly, her brow furrowing. She glanced over at Naruto, who was still stuck staring at them.

Sasuke let the air out sharply between his teeth, staring up at her with cold red eyes. "I thought you wanted us to be a team again, Sakura," He took a step forward, testing her. When she tensed, his smirk only got wider. He took another, then another, until the space between them was a mere two feet. "I thought you wanted me back in Konoha.."

"Like I would trust a thing you say after you just tried to kill me," Sakura spat, her eyes narrowing dangerously as her hand began to glow with chakra. "I'm not the same weak and naive girl you left on a bench when you decided to throw a bitch fit about getting revenge! Then you left the village to join Orochimaru!"

"Sakura," Naruto's eyes were pained. "Sasuke.. We were going to.."

"I'm sorry Naruto," Sakura glanced over. When she looked back, Sasuke was gone. She immediately dropped into a defensive stance, her eyes flickering around as she searched for any sign of his presence. "You've resulted to hiding, huh? Come out, coward!"

She reared her fist back and slammed it down into the ground, making the earth around her shake with the mere force of the impact. She jumped back and slid, catching her balance.

"Sakura, please!" Naruto held his hands out, palms facing her. "He was going to come back with us.."

"Naruto.." Sakura frowned. "Sasuke was only using you."

"Guess you're not as naive as I thought.."

Sakura gasped, jumping sideways as Sasuke came up behind her, a kunai poised to stab her in the back. She caught her blance once more and flung herself forward, her hand glowing with chakra, with her power. A few years ago, she never would have been able to compete with Sasuke's speed like she was able to now.

The two of them fighting was like watching a beautiful, dangerous dance in which each had to somehow predict the others movement or risk injury. Metal collided with metal, creating ringing clanks that was a reminder of how much one missed block could make a turning point in this battle. When they finally broke apart, Sakura's chest heaved in exertion. Keeping up with such speed, such skill that someone like Sasuke Uchiha possessed was a challenge, even for the seasoned kunoichi.

Lowering onto one knee, she clutched her midsection and spat saliva onto ground. In the back of her head, she could only just hear Naruto's pleas.

_Shut up, moron! If you're not going to help me, shut up!_

"I expected a little more than that from you, Sakura," Sasuke said as he stood over her, a calm and merciless look on his face. The mask was gone, and now only the killer remained. "You're no more than the weak, pathetic girl I left on that bench years ago. A failure."

Sakura lowered her face, her hair concealing her from everything. She heard the smooth slide of Sasuke drawing his sword.

"You're wrong, Sasuke.."

He paused.

"I'm not pathetic.. I'm not a failure.."

Another hesitation before the sword is completely out and pointing for a direct kill spot on her back, right between the shoulder blades.

"You've always underestimated me.. But now I'm the one that's let you down and didn't bring it as much as you thought I would." A small laugh escaped her lips. "Or maybe I am all of those things.. But.. Do you want to know something..?"

Only silence greets her as she looks up. Her face reflects his calmness like a mirror.

"I'm not _weak_!"

Shuriken, what seems like hundreds of them, explode from her as she flings out her arms, taking their target by suprise as they embed themselves deep into his torso and abdomen. She's following them not even a second later, kunai in hand.

"What is this?" Sasuke growls out as he hits the ground, having lost mobility in his arms. For once in her life, Sakura swears she sees fear deep within those crimson-coloured eyes. She's on top of him, her knees pinning his shoulders to the ground needlessly.

"There was poison on the blades," She explains as she pulls a syrenge out of her medical pouch, flicking the needle with her finger. "It paralyzes its target's muscles for an amount of time." She smiles, not revealing how long. "You're involuntary muscles are unaffected however. So you won't die.. Yet."

"You little.." He hisses, his head falling back to the ground as the affects of the poison making him unable to support the weight. It was a trick! A trap to lower his guard!

"You'd say I'm stronger now, wouldn't you Sasuke?" She questioned with a smile as she injected the shot into his upper arm. "Because I am."

His lids become heavier, and the last thing he sees before he goes unconsious is the smirk on her face.

"I'm stronger."

* * *

><p><em>[End]<em>

_Lame ending is lame. But I didn't want to go into too much detail with the battle and make it boring. Plus, I think a battle between Sasuke and Sakura wouldn't last too terribly long._

_Hope you guy's enjoyed this anyway~! *heart*_

_And any comments, reviews, suggestions, anything would be greatly appreciated! [:_

**-Mari~***


	3. Epilogue

_A short epilogue to finish up this story.  
>Kinda gonna miss this one to be honest [:<em>

_Hope you guys like it! And thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it *hearts*_

**_-KM x_**

* * *

><p>Finally. After so many years of searching, of longing, and since buried emotions, Sasuke was back in the Hidden Leaf village.<p>

At first, it had all seemed surreal, Sasuke being back, all of her original team at least being _in _the village again. Sakura had been pelted with questions from everyone.

_How did you find him?_

_ How were you able to catch him?_

_ Wasn't it dangerous to take him on one-on-one?_

She had to force herself not to scowl or yell as endless questions were hurled at her. Most of them were just half-sincere.

_Weren't you afraid you'd be killed?_

_ Wasn't it a bit reckless?_

Other's were simply prying and annoying.

_Are you still in love with him?_

_ It must have been so hard to attack him! Especially since you have such strong feeling for him!_

She balled up a fist of grass as she sat on the side of a hill, alone. She took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of freshly blooming spring flowers. A simple pleasure that was so often overlooked. She leaned back, letting the thick green grass overtake her as she stared up at a cloudless blue sky.

It had been a long time since she had just lay in the grass, admiring the silent beauty of the world.

"So you caught him."

Sakura opened her eyes, annoyed that anyone would dare intrude on her quiet time. When she saw it was just Shikamaru, her annoyance faded slightly. At least he was quiet.

"Naruto was there, too." She replied, closing her eyes again. "It wasn't just me."

"Yeah, well he made it seem like you were the one who did all the fighting and figured out how to beat Sasuke." Shikamaru said, laying back in the grass beside her.

"I did do that," She said modestly, her face flushing slightly. "But all that about it being a heart-tearing battle was stupid. I just brought him back. No biggy."

"Yeah," Shikamaru half-scoffed as he folded his arms behind his head. "No big deal that you were able to bring in one of _the _most wanted missing-nin."

"He underestimated me," Sakura said softly before they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

_I grew stronger._

* * *

><p><em>So.. Yeah, thanks for reading!<br>Hopefully I'll start another Naruto fanfic soon [after I catch up on my other projects XD]  
>Any suggestions would be amazing ;D<em>

_Any reviews would also be appreciated! *heart*_

_Thanks again for reading! [:_

**_-KM x_**


End file.
